Farmer, editor and publisher.
Born at Gladstone on 24 September 1884, eldest son of Christian Fahrni and Priscilla Hyndman (1860-1946), he was educated at Gladstone School and Wesley College, graduating with an Arts degree in 1911. He farmed until 1920 when he purchased the Gladstone Age from his father-in-law, improving it with an up-to-date plant equipped with linotype and power plant. He sold the business to A. E. MacLennan in 1938 and moved to British Columbia where he purchased the Kaslo Kootenian, operating it until retirement in 1955.
On 25 January 1912, he married Margaret M. Minaker (1888-1965, daughter of G. P. Minaker) at Gladstone. They had four children: Brock Minaker Fahrni (1913-1982, son-in-law of William Morton), Keith Christopher Fahrni (1914-?), Gerald Osborne Fahrni (1917-?), and Enid Fahrni (?-?, wife of B. P. McKenzie). He was a member of Canadian Weekly Newspaper Association (President of Manitoba Branch, 1922-1923), Masons (Gladstone Lodge, Master in 1932), IOOF (Past Noble Grand, Gladstone Lodge No. 5), an active member of the United Farmers of Manitoba (Local Secretary, 1915-1921; President, Neepawa District, 1921; President, Neepawa District Political Committee, 1922), Returning Officer for the Gladstone constituency in the 1927, 1932, and 1936 provincial general elections, Secretary of the Gladstone Board of Trade, and Recording Steward of the Gladstone Methodist Church. His recreations included golf, curling, and music.
He died at Vancouver, British Columbia on 26 November 1958.
1901 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.
Marriage registration [Roy Christoper Fahrni, Margaret Minaker], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Pioneers and Prominent People of Manitoba, Winnipeg: Canadian Publicity Company, 1925.
Death registrations, British Columbia Vital Statistics.
“Student friend of 60 years ago officiates at funeral of Roy C. Fahrni,” Gladstone Age Press, 10 December 1958, page 1.
“Mrs. Margaret Fahrni, 77, former resident of Gladstone dies,” Gladstone Age Press, 17 November 1965, page 1.
We thank Oliver Bernuetz (Legislative Library of Manitoba) for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 23 August 2024
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